Resilient support for saddles



Jan. 23, 1940. H. MESINGER RESILIENT SUPPORT FOR SADDLES Filed June 1, 1936 1 INVENTOR.

W ATT RNEY.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to resilient supports for saddles and more particularly to spring arrangements for resiliently supporting bicycle saddle seats.

The invention has for its. principal object to provide an improved arrangement for supporting a saddle in yielding relation to a bicycle frame for insulating the rider from shocks caused by the travel of the vehicle over irregularities of the road surface.

More particularly it is an object to provide a seat supporting structure for saddles of the above character wherein the several parts are of relatively simple construction, wherein the use of a depending coil spring is not required and wherein the seat pillar and means of adjustment of the saddle in relation to the pillar is much simplified.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exrnplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conn'ection. with the accompanying drawing, in

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the seat pillar and clamp.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Fig. l, the saddle has a padded seat portion of the customary variety shown generally at It. The seat it] comprises a rigid pressed metal suitably shaped base i l having downwardly turned edges. Upon the upper surface of base I l is provided a layer of resilient material l2 such for example as sponge rubber which is covered by a preformed sheet of leather I3 having downwardly extending edge portions I 3. Attached l5 and it are attached to the bottom of the seat. -5

The rear portions of rods l5 and I6 are formed to have loop portions H and [8 around two bolts I9 and 28 whose heads are affixed to the base I I at the rear portion of the saddle the bolts being spaced relatively widely apart. The reinforcing rods have portions extending forwardly from the loops ll and It to a position centrally under the extreme forward or pommel portion of the saddle where the rods are provided with parallel 7 loop portions 2i and 22 projecting outwardly and adapted to encircle a horizontally disposed hinge pin or bolt 23 whose axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the saddle. The forward portions of the rods l5 and I6 are afiixed to the base by a bolt 24 which has its head at- .20 tached to the base and passes thru a widened portion between the rods at a point near the loops 2| and 22. A washer 25 clamps the rods together against the bottom of the saddle. The washer '25 may preferably be provided with projectionsla s struck up from its lateral edges to prevent the rods l5 and I6 from spreading.

A supporting frame is provided for attachment to the seat pillar and for carrying the spring a The frame is preferably formed an arrangement. in one piece of square rod soas to have two longitudinal reach members 26 and 21 which are joined at their rear ends by a short horizontal portion 28 and have loops 29 and 30 formed at their forward ends for encircling the hinge pin 35 23. The loops 29 and 3B are disposed on either side of the loops 2| and 22 so as to provide a hinged joint therewith.

Upon the rear portions of the members 26 and 21 is supported a semi elliptical leaf spring shown generally at 3|. The spring comprises a. main spring metal leaf 32 and co -operating short leaves 33 and 34 disposed below the main leaf. The spring 3| is clamped at its mid portion to the members 26 and .21 by a clamping plate 35 5 passing across the upper surface of the spring and pressed thereon by bolts 36 and 31 passing through portions extending over both sides of the spring. A co-operating plate 38 is disposed under the members 26 and 2! through which the .50 bolts 36 and 31 also pass and press upward. The plate 38 is provided with upturned edges one of which is indicated by the dotted outline in Fig. 1, engaging with the outward sides of the members 26 and 2'! to prevent displacement of the parts. 55

and through the clamp structure.

The ends of the main leaf 32 are embedded in blocks of soft rubber 39 and 40 which are supported by brackets 4| and 42 from the base of the saddle. The brackets 4| and 42 are preferably formed of resilient strip metal and have portions holding the blocks 39 and 40 on three sides and other portions formed to extend upward and inwardly in contact with the base of the saddle to which they are fastened by the bolts I9 and 29 that are arranged'to pass through holes provided near the ends of the brackets 4| and 42. To retain the blocks 39 and 49 in the desired position in the brackets there are provided end plates or caps 43 and 44 disposed on each side of the blocks which plates have edge flanges turned up to engage the outer'surfaces of the brackets 4| and 42 and inside flanges 45 engaging the inner surfaces of the blocks. The plates are retained by rivets 41 which pass through each pair and the respective rubber blocks 39 and 40 as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 2 the plate 44 has-been removed from the rear side of bracket 4| to clearly show the block 39 and the spring leaf 32 passing into it.

-=The seat pillar 48 which is supported by the bicycle frame in a vertically adjustable manner comprises a straight section of tube having a clamp bolt 49 passing through its upper portion The clamp structure comprises a pair of blocks 56 and 5| disposed on each side of the pillar 48. {The inher surfaces of the blocks 59 and 5| have a cylindrical shape to engage the tubular pillar while the outer surfaces have radial corrugations or teeth. Engaging with the teeth on blocks 50 and 5| are corresponding teeth on the inner faces of inner clamp plates 52 and 53 which are provided with outwardly extending flanges at their upper edges for engaging the top faces of reach members 26 and 21 respectively. Outer clamp plates 54 and 55 are provided engaging the outer sides of the members 26 and 21 to grip them tightly when the bolt 49, which passes through all the clamp parts, is tightened. The plates 54 and 55 are provided with inwardly turned lower edges to bear upon inner plates 52 and 53 and maintain the clamp plates substantially parallel.

The inner and outer clamp plates are so shaped at their upper portions so as to tightly grip the reach members 26 and 21 in a manner that permits the saddle to be adjusted forward or rearwardly relative to the pillar 48. The

' clamp plates may be angularly adjusted relative to the blocks 59 and 5| through arcs equivalent to one or more of the intermeshing teeth so that the saddle may be adjusted to the desired longitudinal angle.

Upon depression of the saddle seat by a rider the spring 3| will tend to be flattened out so that its ends will separate further apart. Such endwise movement is accommodated by providing a small clearance space 56 between the end of the leaf 32 and the end of the slot in the block 39 which accommodates it. Another portion of the movement is absorbed by the resilient deformability of the rubber blocks 39 and 40 and by the resiliency of the brackets 4| and 42. The rubber blocks provide in effect a cushion shackle joint that needs no lubrication and does not rattle. To avoid the use of retaining caps 43 and 44, the rubber blocks may be vulcanized in a permanent manner to the metal parts. If desired however other shackle joints having the desired action may be used or the spring may be made in the form of a three quarter elliptic spring without shackle joints. The reach members 26 and 2! are preferably resilient so as to provide a certain degree of resiliency for the front or pommel end of the saddle. It is also contemplated that the members 26 and 2! may be provided with a relatively large forward loop portions in addition to the loops: 29 and 30 to provide additional resiliency and further, that when so provided with large forward loops, the hinge joint with loops 2|, 22, 29, and 3|) may be eliminated and the rods l5 and I6 form one piece with the members 26 and 21. It will be obvious too that a more customary arrangement for attaching the saddle frame members 26 and 21 to the seat pillar 48.may be used and as for example the pillar may be provided with a horizontally forward projecting cylindrical portion and the frame members clamped thereto in a customary manner.

Since certain changes may be made in the present saddle construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a bicycle saddle supporting structure the combination comprising a seat, a longitudinally disposed frame hingedly connected to the front portion of said seat, resilient members secured to the rear portion of said frame and extending laterally thereof, and resilient brackets secured to the under side of the rear portion of said seat and yieldably connected tothe outer end portions of said resilient members.

2. A bicycle saddle comprising a seat, a longitudinally disposed frame yieldably connected to the forward portion of said seat, resilient members secured to the rear portion of said frame and extending laterally thereof, said members having outer end portions spaced a substantial distance below said seat, a pair of resilient brackets secured to the underside of the rear portion of said seat and extending laterally outward, and resilient means connecting each of said brackets to a respective end portion of said members, said resilient means being constructed and arranged to provide additional vertical resilience while resisting sidesway.

3. In a bicycle saddle supporting structure the combination comprising a seat, a longitudinally disposed frame having a rear portion and a forward portion yieldingly connected to the front portion of said seat, resilient members secured to said rear portion of said frame and extending laterally thereof, and brackets having a portion rigidly secured to the underside of the rear portion of said seat and each having a resilient portion respectively disposed above an outer end of one of said resilient members yieldably but positively connected to said respective outer end portions of said resilient members.

' HENRY MESINGER. 

